Friday, December 13, 2013

Visiting Hollywood Wax Museum in Branson, MO with Kids

When choosing a destination for family vacations with young kids, there are a lot of things to consider. Are there family-friendly accommodations nearby? Will you have access to basic necessities if something unexpected happens on your trip? After we decided we needed a family vacation, we researched some options and ended up choosing Branson, Missouri as our place for adventure.

Designed for guest interaction, Hollywood Wax Museum features celebrities and characters in open sets that are meant to be used for the opportunity for incredibly unique photographs. If you've ever dreamed of meeting a celebrity, chances are you may be able to grab an impressive photo with their wax figure at one of the museum's three United States locations.

Our kids really weren't sure what to think of the wax people. At first, I think they were a little bit concerned that there were all these people standing around without speaking or moving. The figures are incredibly realistic! Hollywood Wax Museum works with many different sculptors, mold makers, and finishers to create these works of art.

The staff members at the Branson museum were so accommodating to us. Since there was a little apprehension from the little ones, we decided that taking them through the Chamber of Horrors might not be in our best interest. A staff member gave us detailed instructions on how to keep the kids from seeing any monsters and escorted us to the elevator since our stroller did not allow us to use the main staircase to access the second level of the museum. She went above and beyond to interact with our kids, and we appreciated that so much.

We were able to tour the museum at our own pace and stop to take photos as desired. The museum features a good representation of character and celebrity figures from both past and present classics!

We really enjoyed the interactive experience - and once our kids had begged their way out of our stroller, they ran themselves practically ragged in excitement!

It was a place that provided lots of photo opportunities. Addie loved the celebrity height wall and I thought the mirror panels in the race car section were pretty neat.

Even Lincoln got in on a little bit of interactive action!

Hollywood Wax Museum regularly surveys guests about their favorite figures, as well as who else they wish to see in the Museum. Each museum is updated frequently, which means you never know who you may find during your visit. Lighted displays beside each display allow visitors to learn about each star portrayed as a wax figure.

The museum is the most photographed landmark in the Branson region, and it is no surprise! I can remember admiring the museum many times as my family drove past when I was a child on the way to Silver Dollar City. The Branson museum opened in 1996 and was completely renovated just a few years ago, in 2009.

If you visit the Branson location, you're bound to notice the rest of the attractions connected to the museum: Shoot for the Stars Mini Golf, Castle of Chaos, and Hannah's Maze of Mirrors. Our tickets included admission to all four attractions, so after our museum tour, we spent some more time exploring. Castle of Chaos was too intense for the kids, so we skipped it - but we had fun touring Hannah's Maze of Mirrors and trying out the mini golf course.

While Lincoln had an incredible time running around like a wild child, we did decide that age two is probably just slightly too young for miniature golf!

Overall, we had a fantastic family adventure at Hollywood Wax Museum and we can't wait to visit again and see what new celebrity faces appear in the lineup! You can follow Hollywood Wax Museum on Facebook for all the latest news.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.